Africa

A continent that I truly love

A continent, not only do I call home

But my heaven on earth

Rich brown fertile soil

Natural resources such as oil

Acres and hectares of green fields

Farms that have so much to yield

From the tropic savannahs

The beautiful rainforests

Home for many bird species

Those that sing so loud and proud

To the lovely deserts and sand dunes  

The never ending mountains and waterfalls

The wildlife and distinct nature

Home to thousands of different creatures

But beyond these oh so wonderful attractions

There is more to you than meets the eye

The poverty stricken countries;

The corrupt governments and authorities

With leaders who leave us

With empty promises and apologies

Drought that crumbles the entire plantation

That leaves us with a hungry population

Young kids with beautiful dreams and imagination

But growing up with little or no education

In circumstances of poor and troubled situations

With no water or proper sanitation

Illness and diseases that leave all helpless

With limited assistance and medical access

And most of all a stigmatization of all sorts

That it is a land that bears all variations of problems

With all this to bear and hold

All your beauty and all your flaws

You are my motherland.

A place I call home.

You took many generations from their knees

And made them stand strong and proud

In my eyes,

You are where paradise lies

And through my generation

You live to see us unite,

Work together day and night

To see the time when you will light

And shine ever so bright.

Today and always

I shout these words:

Je t’aime Africa

Nda gukunda Africa

Eu amo-te Africa

Ndinokuda Africa

Ke a go rata Africa

Ana hibu ita Africa

Mena tanda wena Africa

Ana Behibek Africa

Nkwagala Africa

Nakupenda Africa 

I LOVE YOU AFRICA.

 © Christine Kariuki

                                                                                               

                                                                         

Time

They say time is of the essence

And yes everyday it’s in our presence.

In everything we do, or whatever happens

Time is one factor

That will always matter.

I can’t say I have all the experience in life

But one thing I have come to appreciate as a virtue

That is learnt but not necessarily respected is time.

We all plan everything in respect of time,

You name it and you know time is an aspect.

But keeping to it is what differentiates two people.

I used to wonder, why someone would be upset;

If I am late to meet them by a few minutes

But after being exposed to the world and the reality of things;

 I have realised that it is of a great deal.

I came to understand that people get impatient

Not because they don’t want to be kept waiting,

But mainly because time matters and that your delay,

Falls onto the next plan and that eventually

May mean the day for them ending later than they intended it to

Or ending unaccomplished contrary to their vision. 

It’s not as simple as "it’s just a few minutes."  

A few minutes can mean a whole lot,

It can change someone’s life and can even make or break a situation.

Each day we get we consider a blessing but are we making the most of that?

I have been at fault a couple of times,

For being late and not in accord with time keeping

But it’s a point where I realise that I am wasting

People’s valuable time.

Every minute is accounted for and people have dreams to achieve

I refuse to be judged and put in a bracket.

And it is time I step up and realise it

Statements like “...African timing” irk me

It took a recent experience to realise this

It brought me to a point of disregard with myself.

After personally reflecting on it, I said that I will do all in my ability

To ensure no one ever says this directed to me.

I am always saying ‘you only live once’

Blatantly and without much thought

But truth of the matter is those words do mean something.

If we get just this one chance, then why do I waste it?

Hence I have decided upon a new mind-set;

Every minute I have is a chance, and each chance I get,

I am choosing to make something out of it.

With this in place I’ll definitely see a change.

So my new target is to take life and head forth for it,

Without wasting time to fulfil my dreams,

To capture all the opportunities I can,

To strategically ensure that every minute I decide to make worth,

Better be worth.

You only live once BUT if you do it right,

Once is enough.

 © Christine Kariuki

Inspiration

Have you ever just sat and looked around you?

Everything that is happening is just far beyond amazing.

True, there will always be the spectrum of negativity

But ignore it and just think of the good,

All the positive, all the optimism, all the brilliance that

Comes out of our generation, even previous generations.

It’s so inspiring for me to read or hear

About something one person did that

Impacts me positively today

Imagine; One person, just one person

Made this possible

With their innovations, drive, optimism and

Inspiration they may have gained from someone else.

And without knowing it, they have inspired someone else.

It’s a cycle and goes round and round because people will have

Someone they look up to and admire their ways of living,

Their charisma and how they carry themselves, their careers and

Even their life choices.

Inspiration is gained from everyone,

Doesn’t matter their age, background or beliefs

What matters is their action.

So what have I done?

What is it that my friend, Elders, siblings,

Family, younger ones or even our community.

Can look and clearly admire about me?

I want them to remember that I helped them in

One way or another,

That I made a positive impact on them.

I was more than inspired when my close friends sought out

To people who would be interested in

making a change and are rooting to start a

A program ‘Africans for Africa’ to create a difference

Improve and solve situations and complications our communities face.

To stand up and combine all our brilliance and capabilities

And simply make a positive impact

Personally, I want to be able to know deep down;

That I made a change in some ones world,

That in my so doing I improved what they had

And also encouraged them to do the same for someone else.

It’s not my world; it’s our world. Our community.

So as long as we stand and are able, why not become the solution?

Instead of complaining of problems and our situations!

‘Imprints in the sand wash away, Imprints on a rock, last forever.’  

These are simple but powerful words and so;

With my will power and strength

I open my mind to million POSSIBILITIES and

Great OPPORTUNITIES to create and improve all our COMMUNITIES.

  

 © Christine Kariuki

Appreciation

One word...Appreciation!

Simple word with so much meaning

So today I woke up singing

Feeling as though I have everything

To be thankful and grateful for

It felt as though I went to bed with a smile

And woke up still wearing it.

To my surprise

The thoughts in my mind

Were all about positivity; how grateful I am

For the people around me

For parents who love me unconditionally

For friends who make an empty sky feel as though it’s filled with stars

And to God, for guiding me through.

But then again, let me be honest

I was shocked because this is contrary to the norm

The situation is mostly like;

-Damn, things just aren’t going my way

-My parents just don’t get it when I tell them I’m broke

-These group members are just stressing me, wish I had better ones

-I want that, but let’s face it my account status isn’t the situation on some 6 figures

-need to figure out how to lie to the folks....AGAIN!

-these assignments are too much. Creator of education...clearly hadn’t discovered life

These are statements we all have uttered

At least one of them and I am victim to that.

I always find a way to make what I have seem like its not enough

Indeed, its human nature to some extent but 

Have I ever bothered to think otherwise when I start saying it?

Like the fact that there is nothing like my way

Because it is not like I have lived before to know how my way goes!

Or the fact that I am clearly the one who doesn’t get it...

How much effort from my parents goes in?

To educate me, pay for my bills and enable me to live this luxuriously!

That the group members I am with are good because

I have no right to judge who is good or not!

The point that I actually have what is sufficient and actually more,

Because let’s face it... we exaggerate on our wants

But when the mullah checks in, it is spent on what is clearly not purposeful,

We are very willing to spend on the unnecessary but not on necessities

And have the audacity to go back to your parents and begin using the strategy you had thought out!

Not liking education, yet if it weren’t for it

Even constructing this statement would be a problem.

Yet you will say how you want to do this, change that,

Impact the world and make a successful life for yourself. But how?

How will you do it without knowledge and wisdom?

I thought about all this

And clearly I realise in life we have so much

To be grateful for and appreciative of

But instead we focus on how we don’t have enough

How we need more and then the constant IF ONLY’s

Think of those that aren’t in your position

Those that don’t even have anything to compare it to

All they ask for is much less than what you hold

Platter of opportunities is what some have been raised to

Why not take that and build it?

They say a journey starts with a single step

This is me starting mine.

I’m all packed and ready.

In my bag-pack is a simple statement;

I appreciate it or I’m grateful.

Be thankful for all you have,

Don’t dwell on what you don’t

When faith and focus go to building the existing...

Dreams begin being reality, the bright pictures we paint for our lives

I mean we all want that paradise future right?

 © Christine Kariuki

Unheard Cry

Living like a lie,
Only question is why,

Outside you seem fine,
But deep inside you cry.

Has it reached its peak?
Is it really hard to speak?
Of trials n tribulations that make you weak
yet happiness and comfort is all you ever seek!

You say:
No, I'm fine.
...But these entire troubles r mine
...Going through life on a very thin line.
Yet not once have you ever tried,
to release the pain and let the sorrow fly.
All you do is dine in this platter of pain and say I'm fine.

Are you really?
Are you?

Is this a normal thing?
Feels as though it’s of a supernatural being,
Praying to the angels to keep me under their wings,
After all they know all that you’re seeing.

These are the troubles many face,
And it’s time we take the painful truth as its ours to embrace.

It's strange to sit in a room and speak loud.
Assume there's someone but there's really no crowd.
Js utter words, whatever...make a sound.

Because once in a while,
Whether speaking, recording or writing in your file:

It's right and healthy!
Speak up even if no one is listening
Releases the tension and the suppressed feeling
It's a milestone through the process of healing!

Learnt this painful lesson...

Through a friend in hospital suffering serious depression!

 © Christine Kariuki

Decide who to be

No matter what situation or circumstance,

In the end we just have to take it with acceptance,

And try get the picture like before or similar in resemblance.

In life, it is said that there will always be three people:

THERE ARE THOSE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.

Inspirational and just beam out a ray of brilliance,

Not just presence but performance,

Jolly and optimistic by appearance,

Through rough patches they embrace perseverance,

Can’t be stopped or slowed down by any form of interference.

THERE ARE THOSE PEOPLE WHO WATCH THINGS HAPPEN.

Acknowledge what others have achieved,

Not feel left out or even bereaved,

Forget the views and principles they once believed

Ignore creative thoughts and targets they may have conceived

But now sit back, do nothing and seem somewhat relieved.

THERE ARE THOSE WHO WONDER WHAT HAPPENED.

Turning a cold shoulder so much so not to experience anything,

Very ignorant to learning yet feeling like a king,

No ideas or creative thoughts to the table that you can bring,

Acting and singing it all like you know everything yet your assumptions are nothing,

Wonder is it fear that makes you pull back and not take a swing?

2011 out of the way,

2012 ball is rolling and in play.

Take time and ask yourself who you want to be,

And when you make a solemn promise to be

The person you choose to be, keep you promise!

Let it be like a marriage to your destiny,

Where you vision yourself in the future.

Once you tie the knot,

You shall stick to you promise no matter what

And even when the path seems rough and discouragement is coming from all angles,

Fight on and keep up the battle,

We all know there has never been an easy battle

But a battle well fought was definitely well worth.

Positive thoughts generated build a strong character,

A character that will make an impact and definitely reach your dreams!

© Christine Kariuki